Relief is coming soon for motorists in a Brevard County area that is prone to flooding during heavy storms, and it's also a plus for the struggling Indian River Lagoon.
- $550,000 drainage project to fix flood-prone area in Melbourne
- The project also designed to limit pollution in the Indian River Lagoon
- Project expected to be completed by the first week of January 2017
The city of Melbourne started a long-awaited drainage project to eliminate high water that gathers during medium to heavy rainfall.
Workers are replacing an undersized pipe with one twice its size, as well as repairing a culvert with a reinforced concrete pipe.
The price tag for the drainage work is a little more than $550,000. The project is expected to be completed by the first week of January 2017.
"When the water comes down and covers the whole road, a lot of people driving, (and) they don't see the ditch in there," said Pedro Pichardo, who lives in the area of Babcock Street and Florida Avenue for about a decade.
Thousands of cars pass through the area daily. The road has flooded during heavy rains and has stranded drivers who tried to make it through.
"They needed help to pull it out," Pichardo said.
Part of the project is reducing pollution that's currently going into the Indian River Lagoon. Workers are installing boxes that will remove debris, nitrogen and other pollutants from the stormwater draining into the lagoon's water.
A detour is set up on Florida Avenue, just west of the intersection, so work can be completed.
"It's an inconvenience right now for everybody driving through, but in the long run, it's worth it," Pichardo said.